Harrell fears career could be over

Green Bay - If the clock wasn't ticking before on the National Football League career of former first-round pick Justin Harrell, it is now.

Loudly.

Harrell admitted today that the "back spasms" coach Mike McCarthy said Harrell was suffering from last week, were actually a recurrence of herniated disc in his lower back that has bothered him since March of 2008.

Harrell has had surgeries on his L4 disc twice, and now could be facing a third. Harrell was already told his second surgery put his career in danger. So he realizes another would make the odds even longer.

"Definitely," an obviously distraught Harrell said. "I'm trying not to think about it, but how can you not?"

Harrell said the plan remains the same: to pinpoint the problem and rectify it.

"Right now we're just trying to get some other opinions and things like that and hopefully come up with a solution and what's causing everything and go from there," Harrell said. "Hopefully we'll come up with a new treatment plan or something just to make it all go away."

Harrell thought a 30-minute acupuncture treatment had solved the problem during the offseason. But he's back at square one.

"It's out of my hands," said Harrell, who was lauded by McCarthy and strength coach Dave Redding for his off-season work. "I guess as long as I know I'm doing everything I can and I know the doctors are working night and day trying to use all the resources to come up with a solution, that's really all I can ask for. I'm just trying to control my attitude and what I'm doing and as long as I'm doing that, it makes it a little easier to sleep at night."

Other news and notes from the locker room:

McCarthy said Allen Barbre and Breno Giacomini will now be sharing snaps at right tackle. Asked if he thought he did anything to take a step back in the competition, Barbre quickly said: "No."

Left outside linebacker Brad Jones (back) was among the group that was cleared for practice and he stood out with his quickness. He didn't just think it was a case of him having fresh legs: "Obviously I think I can play well at any level. As a player, I have faith in my ability all the time."

B.J. Raji could play against the Buffalo Bills. He is in the once-a-day practice group for now with Jones.

Nick Barnett only participated in 7-on-7 drills. He won't take part in team drills until next week at the earliest.

Wide receiver James Jones was out with a hamstring injury from the game. McCarthy said he is day-to-day.

ROLBs Clay Matthews (hamstring) and Jeremy Thompson (groin) are unlikely to play this week.